Former JP Morgan Analyst Receives $35M After Glass Door Injury

A former analyst at JP Morgan, Meghan Brown, has been granted a staggering $35 million in compensation after sustaining permanent brain damage from a glass door shattering over her head in New York City. The incident, which occurred in midtown Manhattan in 2015, unfolded as the victim exited a physical therapy appointment. The New York Post initially reported the event, detailing how a towering 7.5ft lobby door exploded, showering Brown with glass debris.

Recalling the harrowing experience during her testimony at the Manhattan Supreme Court, Brown stated, "I do remember seeing glass everywhere in the lobby near me." Following the traumatic incident at 271 Madison Avenue, the former JP Morgan employee took a year-long hiatus from work before resuming her duties at the company. However, she was ultimately terminated from the banking institution in 2021.

Brown's legal representative, Tom Moore, emphasized the enduring impact of the incident, stating, "Eventually she was let go permanently and has not worked in that type of investment banking since." Despite attempting to transition to a role in the cryptocurrency sector, Brown faced another setback when she was dismissed from her position. Currently, she operates a gourmet ice cream business in Florida.

The aftermath of the door-shattering incident left the woman grappling with a multitude of health issues. She reported a loss of smell and taste, a decline in her fluency in Spanish, as well as experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), memory impairment, and sensitivity to light. She also suffers from chronic headaches, neck pain, distorted depth perception, vertigo, and balance issues.

In an effort to recover, Brown sought assistance from various specialists and even acquired a service dog to mitigate the risk of falling. However, the impact extended beyond physical ailments, affecting her personal relationships. She disclosed that her brain injury strained her engagement, with her partner expressing concerns about leading a "normal life" together.

Responding to Brown's claims, an attorney representing the building's owners contended that the glass had shattered as it was supposed to, minimizing the severity of the incident to a mere cut on the woman's hand.

Nevertheless, a unanimous decision by a six-person jury held the building owners negligent, deeming their actions a substantial factor in Brown's injuries. The jury verdict sheet, as reported by the New York Post, confirmed the ruling in Brown's favor. The awarded sum of $35,184,208 reflects not only Brown's lost income but also the extensive medical expenses associated with her brain injury.

"A typical component of an injured person’s damages award is what is their lost income and when people have brain damage, the medical care for that can be very large because medical costs are so high," explained Benjamin Zipursky, a legal expert from Fordham University.

"The suffering that people can experience when their life has dramatically turned around and they have a traumatic injury is also something for the jury [to] decide what the fair compensation would be, so all of that plays into this," he added.